Guttland
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2024) |
The Guttland (German: Gutland) is a region covering the southern and central parts of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The Guttland (literally "Good Land") covers 68% of the territory of Luxembourg; to its north lies the Éislek, which covers the remaining 32% of the Grand Duchy.[1] To the east, the Luxembourgish Guttland adjoins the Bitburger Gutland of Germany.
The Guttland is not an homogeneous region, and includes five main sub-regions: the Valley of the Seven Castles, Little Switzerland, the Luxembourg plateau, the Moselle Valley, and the Red Lands.[1][additional citation(s) needed] Despite its variety, it does have general geographic characteristics, either physical or human, that separate it from the Éislek.[citation needed]
Unlike the sparsely populated Éislek, the Guttland is relatively urbanised. Whereas the Éislek has only one town with a population larger than 5,000 people, the Guttland has four cities with a population largely above 20,000 (Luxembourg City, Esch-sur-Alzette, Differdange and Dudelange). However, the Guttland's urban areas are mostly congregated in the cantons of Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Capellen and Mersch, whereas some other parts of the Guttland (cantons of Redange, Echternach, Grevenmacher and Remich) are almost as sparsely populated as the Éislek region.
The Guttland has a lower altitude above sea level and a flatter landscape than the Éislek. Geologically, the Guttland is predominantly a large Jurassic-Triassic sandstone formation, part of the Lorrainian system; the Éislek is predominantly Devonian schist and quartz. Both are wooded, but the Éislek's forests are more numerous and thicker, a testament to the slower pace of human development in the Éislek. Most of the Guttland is fertile agricultural territory - hence the name.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Luxembourg's territory". luxembourg.public.lu. Retrieved 21 November 2024.